Single Visit Crowns & Caps
What are Single Visit Crowns & Caps?
Using CEREC technology, we can prepare and manufacture your crowns, caps and even bridges in-house. This saves you the stress of having to return for a second appointment. You also no longer have to worry about temporary crowns ever again.
Crowns versus onlays
The CEREC machine can be used to make crowns or onlays for teeth that are worn down or damaged by decay. Crowns are made of porcelain and are designed to surround the outside of the tooth as well as covering its biting surface. They restore aesthetics, chewing ability and comfort to a tooth that needs it. Sometimes an approach more conserving of tooth structure is better and that is where caps (also known as onlays) come in. Onlays, also made of porcelain, cover the biting surface of the tooth only so that less tooth structure needs to be shaved away. Onlays can be used to protect a tooth that is cracking. The dentist will decide between crowns and onlays based on tooth damage, root-canal status and if it shows in your smile.
A typical Single Visit Crown appointment goes like this:
First we numb you up and shave the tooth down, to allow enough room for the strong porcelain material. Then we use our CEREC scanner to scan a 3D model of the prepared tooth and surrounding teeth into the program. Next, you can watch as we design a beautiful porcelain crown to accurately fit over your tooth. This design is sent wirelessly to the CEREC milling machine, where you can see the custom colour matched crown being cut out from a block of porcelain. The process continues with us ensuring the crown fits, polishing it by hand and firing it in a special furnace to strengthen it. Now we are ready to disinfect your tooth before using a high strength resin to cement it to your tooth. After cleaning off all cement and making sure your bite is right, you are ready to go with a beautiful strong new crown.
